I finally took my NEF 12 G pump to the range just to make sure it operated o.k. It had been sitting in Gun cabinet for several months unused/unfired.

I fired 3 kind of shells: 1. #6 game load 2. #4 game load
3. OOBuck .Observations: At about 15 feet the #6 shell shredded a bulls-eye target with a pattern about 10" wide. The #4 was similar and did a lot of damage. The 00 Buck blasted about a 3"-4" hole in target each time. The pellets entered in a practically solid mass.

After this session, I'm thinking of keeping the #4 in the 5 shell elastic carrier on the stock of the shotgun that I store unloaded. If I was in a high stress home defense mode, I might not get the gun directly on-target with a 3" pattern of lead. The #4 on the other hand at 15-20' distance would be hard to miss even a moving target. I will have to think about that. The OO B seemed like "overkill" to me.

The gun kicked "like a mule" and I only fired 5 shots. (I was on a pistol range). The stock is solid synthetic, is somewhat undersized and rather narrow in thickness. I think the small footprint of the stock contributes to the harsh kick even though it has a factory rubber pad. Gun seems to work o.k. and I gave it a good cleaning after the brief range session. I wouldn't want to fire a box of shells through it.

I fired 100 rounds of 38 sp in a couple of revolvers which was a lot more fun than the shotgun.

#4 buck is the minimum you should use. Hitting your target is a lot harder than you might think, and I'd definitely not leave it unloaded if you're unsure of your abilities to reload under stress. My 870 wears a short barrel, and 4 ride in the mag tube. If you're worried about spring fatigue, buy some extras and keep em around to replace yours with. Self defense is not something to play games with, no offense intended, and you better be ready when the chips fall. That .38, if you're more practiced with it, is probably a better choice. At house distances, unless you're a millionaire, all shotgun shells hit as pretty much a solid mass.

Listen to Dave on starting with light target loads. I got beaten up so bad at first that my family wanted me to go to the doctors. When I went out after a month to familiarize myself to buckshot and slugs, I was told I wouldn't be able to shoot more than a handful. I shot about 50 mixed rounds of buchshot and slugs with very little sensitiivity.

Ever check yourself for eye dominance? That's the first thing I do with a new shooter, even before we get to the safety lecture, before we ever put hands on a firearm. If you're cross dominant, that could affect your shooting form in a negative way. To determine your dominant eye, extend both arms out in front of you. Make a circle with your thumbs and fingers. With both eyes OPEN, center up a small object at least ten feet away in the circle. Close one eye, then the other. The one eye open that keeps the object centered in the circle is your dominant eye. It's usually best if your shooting 'handedness' is on the same side as your dominant eye.

Getting a shotgun butt into your shoulder pocket is important in avoiding pain. To find your shoulder pocket, but your support hand (aka 'weak hand') thumb on the middle of front of your collar bone, the extended middle finger of the same hand on the front of the 'ball' of your shoulder joint, and extend the index finger (pointing finger) down to your shoulder halfway between thumb and middle finger. That 'soft spot' is your shoulder pocket. That's where you want the butt of the shotgun to go. Bring your elbow up to shoulder level with the arm flexed, and swing that elbow forward and back slowly while pressing in on the shoulder pocket. Feel the bone on both sides of your index finger? Getting a shotgun butt on bone hurts. Getting the butt out on the muscle of the upper arm on the outside of the shoulder joint hurts too. Getting into the habit of a good consistent gun mount with the butt of the shotgun in the shoulder pocket is important.

Gun fit is important too. IIRC the LOP of the stock on the Pardner pumps is about 13", which is 1" to 1 1/2" or so shorter than many production guns. It could be the stock is still too long. It's usually easier to shoot a shotgun (especially a defensive shotgun) with a too-short stock than a too-long stock.

If recoil is such that it hampers your ability and willingness to shoot the gun regularly, it might be you need to go to a 20 gauge. There's a very nice youth model 20 ga. in the Pardner line if you need a somewhat smaller sized gun, also.

If you're a normal, healthy person, shooting a shotgun shouldn't hurt that much. The advice to start out with lighter recoiling loads is very good. Whatever the problem is, I hope you get it sorted out soon and with no more pain.

Best wishes,

lpl

__________________Mindset - Skillset - Toolset. In that order!

Attitude and skill will get you through times of no gear, better than gear will get you through times of no attitude and no skill.

I have handled firearms most of my life, but have not used shotguns much because I am not a game hunter. I was expert with rifle in the Army and am pretty decent with handguns.

The 12 ga Partner was a somewhat new experience for me. I plan to get a slip-on pad to beef up the stock somewhat. It did seem undersized and felt a little awkward to get a good solid shooting position. It is not a light-weight gun so that was not an issue. I still believe the undersized stock was the biggest single issue I had with it- and was the main cause of the shock to my shoulder.

I was limited on # of shots because of range rules at the indoor pistol range I was using & I could certainly understand that. My revolvers would be my first firearm reached in home defense. The 12 ga would just be for if TSHTF and I had the time to reach the locked gun cabinet in another room of the house.

Due to a family member in my home that should NOT have access to firearms, I have to keep everything locked up. I am trusting to my 2 dogs to give me enough warning to access my handguns. They sleep in our bedroom and can hear a mouse sneeze a block away.

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